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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Orden Ogan - Ravenhead + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Jan-24-2015 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2015 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........13 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.ordenogan.de ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Orden Ogan Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Ravenhead Label : AFM ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The music business is a rather tricky industry. ║ │
│║ Some bands that don't appear that technically ║ │
│║ talented sometimes end up in the right place at ║ │
│║ the right time and becoming huge stars while ║ │
│║ other bands are on the road constantly trying to ║ │
│║ perfect their sound and never end up making it. ║ │
│║ In the realm of power metal it is even more ║ │
│║ rough than it is in other genres. There have ║ │
│║ been an astounding large amount of bands who, no ║ │
│║ matter their level of talent, that recorded an ║ │
│║ album or two years ago and called it quits ║ │
│║ without ever really getting the recognition ║ │
│║ they've sought after. Every now and then you ║ │
│║ will discover a band who truly persevered in the ║ │
│║ face of diversity. Orden Ogan out of Germany is ║ │
│║ truly one of those bands. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Having formed in 1996 and not having an actual ║ │
│║ independent release until 8 years later it ║ │
│║ appear as though Orden Ogan were going to be one ║ │
│║ of those bands that history completely wrote ║ │
│║ off. However the band would not give up without ║ │
│║ a fight. Eventually they would begin to hone ║ │
│║ their craft of extremely catchy chorus-driven ║ │
│║ power metal with occasional folk influences. ║ │
│║ Each album they released became a drastic ║ │
│║ improvement over the previous. After getting a ║ │
│║ huge push from their record label AFM their ║ │
│║ music was finally starting to get the attention ║ │
│║ it deserved. By 2014 a bit after their very well ║ │
│║ received album To the End they were asked to ║ │
│║ play the ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta and ║ │
│║ their popularity has just began to skyrocket ║ │
│║ from there. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ With the release of their 5th full length album ║ │
│║ Ravenhead we see a band at what appears to be ║ │
│║ their musical peak. The album seemed to garner a ║ │
│║ significant amount of hype in various heavy ║ │
│║ metal circles. Many, including myself, would go ║ │
│║ as far as to admit that the choruses are so ║ │
│║ memorable that they almost rival and resemble at ║ │
│║ times that of one of the hugest names in power ║ │
│║ metal, Blind Guardian. Lead by vocalist, ║ │
│║ guitarist, and keyboardist Sebastian "Seeb" ║ │
│║ Levermann, Orden Ogan has truly created a brand ║ │
│║ of power metal that is rather accessible, yet ║ │
│║ intense. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Seeb and other long time guitarist Tobi ║ │
│║ immediately showcase how well their playing ║ │
│║ meshes in the opening title track. The twin lead ║ │
│║ riff is instantly identifiable, there isn't much ║ │
│║ time spent on the first verse at all and the ║ │
│║ song greatly focuses around an extremely ║ │
│║ memorable and extended chorus. The backing ║ │
│║ vocals to this track is definitely the highlight ║ │
│║ of the entire song and adds a lot of dimension ║ │
│║ to what would otherwise be for the most part a ║ │
│║ relatively simplistic track. The layering to the ║ │
│║ vocals remind me very much of Nightfall in ║ │
│║ Middle Earth era Blind Guardian personally. The ║ │
│║ guitar solos halfway through the song however ║ │
│║ are anything but simplistic. They are traded off ║ │
│║ quite seamlessly and unlike many other bands ║ │
│║ actually fit the song very well. The orchestral ║ │
│║ keyboards afterwards bring the song to a huge ║ │
│║ climax before kicking in the chorus for a final ║ │
│║ time. Definitely an excellent opening track and ║ │
│║ one of the most memorable on the entire album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Quite often a band's first released track ║ │
│║ embodies exactly what an album is supposed to ║ │
│║ sound like. With F.E.V.E.R., however; I don't ║ │
│║ feel this is the case. The chorus gets a tad bit ║ │
│║ repetitive, the riffs are really not all that ║ │
│║ memorable and for some reason I am bothered ║ │
│║ slightly by the periods in the song title along ║ │
│║ with the fact that the words deceiver and ║ │
│║ believer are rhymed constantly. It is by no ║ │
│║ means a terrible song, but I don't feel it ║ │
│║ really gives a great representation of what ║ │
│║ Ravenhead is all about. I certainly don't feel ║ │
│║ that it should have been the band's first single ║ │
│║ and music video for the album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The next track, The Lake, seems to pull a ║ │
│║ complete turnaround. The song does not appear to ║ │
│║ be completely focused around the chorus, the ║ │
│║ guitar parts are a bit more intricate, and the ║ │
│║ guitar solo completely shreds. In my opinion ║ │
│║ this is how a lot of songs should be written. ║ │
│║ The general theme of a chorus should be ║ │
│║ memorable, but when overdone it greatly takes ║ │
│║ away from the song. The Lake is a great example ║ │
│║ of a memorable song that manages to be technical ║ │
│║ and where nothing is repeated to the point of ║ │
│║ exhaustion. This is easily one of my personal ║ │
│║ favorites. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ One of the real highlights of the album is Here ║ │
│║ at the End of the World. Like the title track it ║ │
│║ begins with a very memorable twin lead that goes ║ │
│║ right into an extremely dynamic chorus with many ║ │
│║ vocal layers. The guitar riffs in the song are ║ │
│║ some of the heaviest on the album and make you ║ │
│║ want to pump your fist or bang your head. This ║ │
│║ is by far my favorite song on Ravenhead. There ║ │
│║ is nothing at all repetitive about it, the riffs ║ │
│║ are memorable, the solos are amazing, the ║ │
│║ keyboards give it an extra boost, and the vocals ║ │
│║ are absolutely amazing. It even becomes one of ║ │
│║ the first times where the rhythm section becomes ║ │
│║ a bit more noticeable. It appears as if they are ║ │
│║ drowned out at times throughout the album ║ │
│║ otherwise. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ I kind of hate to keep comparing Orden Ogan to ║ │
│║ Blind Guardian, but even their ballads have ║ │
│║ similarities. A Reason to Give actually kind of ║ │
│║ reminds a bit of The Bard Song meets Blood ║ │
│║ Tears. There is a bit of a folk-ish aspect to ║ │
│║ the beginning of the song and a lot of emotion ║ │
│║ throughout. The acoustic passages are quite ║ │
│║ beautiful and the song is very well written. ║ │
│║ Lyrically this is one of the best songs on the ║ │
│║ album and definitely conveys a lot of emotion. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ My only real complaints about Ravenhead are that ║ │
│║ the last two songs are relatively short ║ │
│║ interludes without much really going on, the ║ │
│║ opening track is an intro, and the first single ║ │
│║ is probably the most repetitive and uninspiring ║ │
│║ song on the album. After you sift through these ║ │
│║ tracks though you have 7 songs that are ║ │
│║ extremely memorable, technically very well ║ │
│║ performed, and have choruses that you'll be ║ │
│║ singing along to immediately. I can easily see ║ │
│║ this album being on a lot of people's best of ║ │
│║ 2015 lists, and it may actually give the new ║ │
│║ Blind Guardian album a run for its money. Since ║ │
│║ there are so many songs on this that I love and ║ │
│║ only really one that I don't particularly care ║ │
│║ for I would easily give Ravenhead a 9 out of 10. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Orden Ogan [01:27] │
│ 02 - Ravenhead [06:06] │
│ 03 - F.E.V.E.R [04:24] │
│ 04 - The Lake [04:16] │
│ 05 - Evil Lies In Every Man [05:45] │
│ 06 - Here At The End Of The World [05:02] │
│ 07 - A Reason To Give [04:32] │
│ 08 - Deaf Among The Blind [05:07] │
│ 09 - Sorrow Is Your Tale [05:44] │
│ 10 - In Grief And Chains [02:14] │
│ 11 - Too Soon [03:53] │
│ 12 - F.E.V.E.R (8-bit Version) (Bonus Track) [04:18] │
│ 13 - The Things We Believe In (Folk Version) (B [05:08] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [57:56 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
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